Auto service indicator



y G. CHANN 7 2,282,852

AUTO sERVICE INDICATOR Filed P60. 9, 1940 a eoiye INVENTOR ATTOR N EYS Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE I f] v a I 2,282,852

AUTO SERVICE INDICATOR George Chann, Bridgeton, N. J. I

Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,321

2 Claims.

The present invention relates'to improvements in indicators and more particularly" to the type employed with vehicles for reminding the operator of the proper mileageat which to lubricate the vehicle. I

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of an indicator especially adapted to be attached to the radiator brace rod beneath the hood of the vehicle and comprising discshaped members which can be readily adjusted for indicating the future mileage at which to lubricate the vehicle and/or change the .oil in the crank-case.

Another object of the invention is to provide an indicator including recording elements which are adapted to be set and to be securely clamped in set position to prevent accidental displacement of the elements during the interval between lubrication or oil changes.

The invention also consists in certain other Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an auto service indicator embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is a rear elevational view thereof. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 2 with parts I in section.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, the improved indicator is generally designated in the several views by the reference numeral 8 and comprises a plate 9 formed of metal or analogous material adapted to be mounted on a radiator brace rod diagrammatically shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing and designated by the reference numeral I0. The plate is held on the brace rod by means of a clamp ll, said clamp being concaved intermediate its ends as indicated at 12 for adapting itself to the brace rod l0 and is secured to the plate by means of bolt and nut fasteners l3. This means of supporting the plate v9 will retain the same in a suspended position from the radiator brace rod so as to be readily visible to the opervator of the vehicle or other persons interested in the same. V

The lower end portion of the plate is offset forwardly with relation thereto as indicated at 14 and best shown in Flgure4 of the drawing, and is of arcuate formation in vertical section. The offset portion l4 constitutesa guide or indi-' cator for'the numerals appearing in a horizontal line on" the indicating dials or discs generally designated'by the reference numeral iii to behereinafter more fully described. For example,

7 the line of numerals appearing below the edge ment by tightening the wing nut 2!.

of the offset portion shown in Figure 1 would represent the mileage at which the vehicle was to be lubricated and/or the oil changed in the crank-case. V

The plate 9 is provided at its lowermost side edges with rearwardly directed flanges I 6, said flanges extending downwardly below the lowermost edge .of the offset portion I4 to provide arms il in whicha shaft 18 is mounted. The shaft [8 is in the form of a threaded bolt and is provided with a head I9 at one end thereof and on the other end is formed with exterior screw threads 20 and a wing nut 2| .threadedly mounted thereon.

Recording elements in the form of indicating dials or discs generally designated by the refer- 7 ence numeral I5 are mounted on the shaft l8 between thearms I1, each of said discs bearing numerals on the periphery thereof either raised or depressed, from zero to nine, The discs l5 are mounted for individual rotation or adjustment and are secured against accidental move- If desired, a lock washer 22 may be positioned between the wing nut 21 and arms 11.

In use of the indicator, should it be advisable to lubricate the chassi of the vehicle or to change the oil in the crank-case, every thousand miles, the operator or service attendant will first release the Wing nut 21 and will rotate the individual elements l5 until the mileage'at which the car is to be lubricated will appear in a horizontal line and after the elements have been adjusted to indicate said mileage, the wing nut is turned up to secure them against accidental movement from their adjusted position. As afore indicated, the adjusted discs bearing the future mileage are arranged so that the numerals appear in a horizontal line along the edge of the offset portion. The numerals 23 will be readily discernible at a glance and upon a periodic inspection of the indicator, the operator will be able to determine the mileage at'which lubrication of the vehicle must be attended to. The indicating dials or discs may be formed of metal, aluminum, or any similar materials which have a minimum of friction so as to permit the same to be freely and individually rotated upon loosening the wing nut 2 I.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a service indicator for automobiles, a plate having side portions bent at right angles thereto to form a pair of yielding flanges at opposed side edges thereof, the inner portion of the said plate being bent from the plane of the plate body to form an arcuate guide, the said flanges having aligned openings, a shaft extended through the flange openings of the plate and having a threaded extension at one end, a series of disks rotatably mounted on the shaft between the said flanges having numerals on the periphery thereof, the said disks being rotatable to present the numerals thereon in a row transverse of and adjacent the outer edge of the guide, and a nut fitted on the threaded end of the shaft adjustable to clamp the flanges and the disks for releasably locking the disks in set arrangement.

2. A service mileage indicator for automobiles comprising a plate having rearwardly directed flanges formed in opposed relation at the side edges thereof, the said flanges having aligned openings therein, the lower portion of the said plate being bent to form a forwardly offset arcuate guide projection, a shaft extended through the flange openings and disposed in a horizontal position offset rearwardly of the plane of the plate, the said shaft having a threaded extension at one end, a plurality of flat disks rotatably mounted in contiguous arrangement on the shaft between the flanges, each of the said disks having a plurality of numerals arranged circumferentially on the periphery thereof, the said disks being disposed so that selected numerals thereof may be disposed in a horizontal line below the lower edge of the arcuate guide projection, a nut threaded on the extension of the shaft and adjustable to contact the flanges and the disks for releasably locking the disks against rotation, and a cam secured against the rear face of the plate providing a concave inner portion cooperative with the plate for engaging the radiator support rod of an automobile.

GEORGE CHANN. 

